


Noctua

by Melkur_Mistress



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Brief Description of Injuries, F/F, Gen, Missy does the right thing, Missy tries to lead a quiet life, Reference to Torture, The Doctor Saves Missy from a Very Strange Situation, Who saves Who by the end?, Witch Hunting, but it goes horribly wrong, we cant leave Nardole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-08-04 20:05:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16353377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melkur_Mistress/pseuds/Melkur_Mistress
Summary: The Doctor stared at her, stunned, “you’re planning to go headlong into the worst personal paradox anyone has ever been stuck in?"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i finished this a while ago, so putting it up. It's three chapters, I've tagged the reference to torture but its a brief moment where 13 heals Missys wounds. The story is focused more on trust and saving each other and isn't heavy.
> 
> Will try and upload it all tonight.

**_1645 - England._ **

In hindsight it was never going to be a very good decision.

She debated the irony of it all as she shifted, trying to free her wrists from the ropes that bound her tightly to the thick wooden stake. Being accused of being a witch by someone who was pointing her TCE at her, and surely thought the device was _produced_ by witchcraft - there lie the irony.

She began to violently pull at the rope as she was approached by the ringleader, shifting her wrist to try to put pressure on to the button on her bracelet that would burn the ropes and release her. As she looked around at the crowd she began to regret not introducing them to some home entertainment a few centuries early - they had even gathered their children to watch.

The ringleader announced that he was going to torture her before they passed sentence, and the crowd gave their approval. She couldn’t free herself fast enough, and by the time she escaped she was bleeding and angry, and really wanting her TCE back.

Hours later, as she was chained in a cell, almost resigned to the fact that she was probably going to regenerate there if they kept up their fine hospitality, she found herself staring at her TCE as it was pointed at her.

This really had gone horribly wrong.

 

**_Almost 400 years later._ **

  
The Doctor had become distracted when she had found a trace indicating the presence of another Time Lord. She had searched, but the signs remained faint, and she wondered whether it was merely a trace left from a previous visit - a Time Lord long gone but their presence picked up as an echo. After searching in vain, she eventually gave up and decided to explore the cities museums - she always enjoyed visiting earth museums, the inaccuracies made her chuckle at times. 

The Doctor stood at the back of the group of people currently being escorted on their tour of the museum.  She had found herself drawn to the Myths and Legends area, and followed the group as the guide stopped, explaining the history of some of the exhibits. It was mundane really, none of the legends built on much at all, until that is, the guide turned her attention to the large stone owl. Listening with serious contemplation, the Doctor started to wonder if this was perhaps, the reason she had detected the faintest trace of a Time Lord in this area.

As soon as she stepped closer, the small device in the Doctor’s pocket hummed - it was only a very slight increase, but it was enough to tell her that she was closer to a Time Lord. She wondered if perhaps they were using a perception filter which was interfering with her readings, but then she concentrated on the talk being given to the group, and realisation struck her hard.

“...in 1645. A powerful witch was punished for stealing the souls and minds of the people’s of the village. It was said that she bewitched the town, suddenly living in the grand castle on the outskirts of the town, and gaining significant control over the people. One night, she was dragged from her home, into the town square and tortured as punishment for witchcraft. Being accused of being a witch was an inescapable crime - many admitted witchcraft purely to avoid execution, but would then be executed for their admittance. This witch however, admitted it, and then announced a curse on their village. The people were scared, and ran. In the panic she escaped, and brutally slaughtered the family of one of the people who had punished her. Attempting to make her escape through a magic door that appeared in an ordinary stone wall, she was seized and sentenced to be burned at the stake.”

The Doctor froze, her mind racing with the likelihood that this was not only a Time Lord, but a Time Lord who had the ability to hypnotise an entire village - that narrowed down the possibilities considerably.

“In a strange twist, they used her own magic against her and she was shrunk to the size of a doll. The village was known for it’s production of stone statues, and it is said that in a bizarre turn of events that she was sealed inside the hollowed body of this owl statue.  They decided that torturing her for eternity was a more fitting punishment as she remained immobile with only her mind free as she stared into the blackness inside the stone bird. The people were said to be horrified, but the magic was destroyed so it would not corrupt the innocents of the town. The owl survives to this day and is on display here.”

“Has anyone opened the owl and looked inside?” the Doctor asked.

“I assure you, it is simply a myth, the owl is an item of national heritage and is quite exceptional for it’s time. Now if you would like to come this way…..”

The Doctor stared at the large owl - positioned with it’s wings outstretched in the centre of the exhibit. She stepped closer and felt the device begin to vibrate louder.

There really was only one thing for it - _she was going to have to rob the museum._

It was strangest and most absurd trouble that the Master had ever gotten into, and the Doctor sighed as she stepped up to the platform, later that night, cutting the wires free which held the owl in place and carefully lifting it off the podium to carry it in her arms as she stepped back inside her TARDIS - all to the sound of the museum alarms ringing. 

She dematerialised and got straight to work.

The Doctor placed the owl on a table and laid out everything she might need - from tools and monitoring devices, to restraints...she wasn’t going to be unprepared. She worked on the room - teleporting in a comfortable bed, and setting up a containment field. Lastly she scanned her with her sonic screwdriver, and felt reassured that life signs, while muted, were stable. 

Sitting down, she got to work - it would take her time, but her friend wasn’t in a hurry. As she worked, she described what she was doing - unsure if she could be heard, but wanting her to understand, if she could, that she was trying to help. It didn’t feel right to just ignore the large stone owl her friend was imprisoned inside.

The Doctor, much later, happy with her device, picked up a laser scalpel and carefully cut open the stomach of the owl, very slowly, afraid to go too deep. She was concerned that she would do too much damage for her friend to regenerate if she made a mistake cutting into the bizarre prison that held her, or potentially activating any manner of devices that might be in her pockets or concealed somehow.

Finally, she put down her scalpel and used her hands to pull broken pieces of stone away from the stomach of the owl statue - instantly she put her hands inside and very gently lifted out her friend - staring blankly ahead of her.

“Hello Missy,” the Doctor said warmly. “This might be the weirdest problem you’ve ever had. I’ll help you though - you know I will.”

She placed Missy on the bed and observed her for a moment, she couldn’t think of a stranger situation that the Master had ever fallen in to. She noted from her clothes and hairstyle that she had to have either left the vault at some point that no one had been aware of, or this Missy, was _her_ Missy - the one concurrent with her own time stream - the one she had spent almost a century with, trying to help, and who she had last seen on the colony ship.

“I hope that legend is grossly exaggerated Missy,” the Doctor sighed, feeling deeply saddened. “If not...why did you fall so horribly? Murdering a family...I hope you haven’t slipped that badly.”

It took time - the Doctor wasn’t anywhere near as versed in tissue compression and expansion as the Master, so the device needed a lot of tweaking, but eventually, after a few test runs, she was happy that the device she had created would restore Missy. It made her hearts heavy as she prepared to restrain her, but she didn’t know if there was any truth to the legend, or what Missy’s mental condition might be if she had been trapped with only her mind capable of working, for far, far longer than she had been in the vault. She hoped that part of the legend was wrong - there was no way to tell in her current state.

She secured restraints to the bed, resolving that she would use them immediately, and not take any risks.

Pointing the device at Missy, she measured the levels, and fired.

It was fascinating and bizarre to watch someone of doll like proportions, regrow into their normal size. Once she was certain that Missy was properly restored, she walked over to her, and restrained her wrists to the bed. Her hearts hurt as she did it - she never took any pleasure out of confining Missy - she had always tried to make her life in the vault easier, so she did not feel dependent on her for everything. If she had murdered again though, then where did it leave either of them?

She scanned her with her sonic screwdriver and was satisfied that her life signs, although erratic, were present and slowly stabilising. A healing coma would likely be the best thing, but she decided to wait and see.

She leaned over her, adjusting her pillow, and hoping she would at least feel comfortable when she woke. Then she stepped back, activated the containment field, and picked up her book. Flopping down onto the only chair in the room, she began to read, losing herself in the book.

The Doctor had read most of the book when she heard a sound, and realised that Missy was finally waking. She placed her book on her lap, and sat up, watching her.

“Where….” Missy whispered, before crying out in obvious pain and attempting to move on to her side. When she realised that she couldn’t, she lunged to the side more violently, unintentionally yanking her wrist against the metal restraint, not really processing any of her surroundings, yet alone the fact that she was secured to the bed.

The Doctor jumped up, deactivating the containment field as she approached her, her eyes full of concern as she took in the blind panic in Missy's eyes.

“Missy stop, you'll break your wrist. You’re in my TARDIS...you’ve been...and this is the most bizarre mess you’ve ever needed me to save you from, but..imprisoned inside an owl for over 400 years.”

“Doctor?” Missy said, her eyes wide with confusion as she stated at her. “Doctor...400 years? I was paused….safety mechanism of my TCE. It...puts me in stasis…so it won’t…..I need to move..”

She tried again to roll on to her side and began pulling violently at the restraints before turning her head to meet the Doctor’s eyes, dismay flooding through her as the realisation took hold that the Doctor had restrained her.

“Why?.. Doctor…” she said, and the devastation in her voice hurt the Doctor’s hearts.

“This isn't necessary...and please...my back, If you must restrain me, please let me move to my side first,” Missy said, before looking away and trying to hold back her tears. “I won't resist you, I just...i’m in pain.. _please_ Doctor…”

The Doctor frowned and removed one restraint,  her fingers brushing against the now rapidly bruising skin on Missy’s wrists. Missy eyes filled with tears as she she rolled to her side, away from the Doctor, falling silent as the Doctor secured the restraint again but reached across to lightly stroke Missy’s hair.

“What’s wrong with your back?” the Doctor asked softly, working hard to try and figure out the situation. “I couldn’t see any immediate injuries, or I would have healed them, but I didn’t take a close look.”

“The 17th Century judicial system is a little harsh - and they really don't hold a fair trial. My energy is starting to tingle...I'll heal.”

Missy could feel the Doctors eyes on her, but she remained with her focus on the wall. “You changed...I like it. So….. I'm your prisoner again?”

The Doctor, uncertain of how to respond, sighed and watched her sadly, choosing not to answer that question right away.

“The legend says you stole the souls and minds of the village, the people were scared of you enough to torture you and sentence you to death,” the Doctor said. “Stealing their minds...you hypnotised them?”

“Yes…” Missy replied. “I suppose it looked a bit frightening...like they were bewitched.”

“So they dragged you from your home…”

“Yes that part was undignified. It's a good job this fabric is reinforced,” she said glancing at the sleeve of her jacket, as she tried to sound dismissive of the actual trauma of the incident.

“They tied you to a stake, you were tortured and sentenced to being burnt as a witch,” the Doctor surmised.

“Yep, fun times,” Missy said sarcastically.

“You escaped…”

“Of course I did - I'm good at that.”

“Then the legend says you took revenge,” the Doctor said, stepping around so that she could make eye contact with her.

“Of course I did, but seriously Doctor what do you think I did?  They were brutal, I could only just get away before I collapsed and cursed their stupid village, but that involved tapping into their fears of witchcraft and remotely setting off fires - don’t worry, no one got hurt - the sick voyeurs were all outside watching me get tortured - do you know they even bring their kids out to watch? They didn’t get far with their torture attempt before I broke free, but the bastard who laid into me for a couple of minutes did plenty of damage. Then after I escaped, it was so handy to have a suspected witch to frame for his sick crimes. 

“Is that true Missy?” she asked.

“What do you think?” Missy said, anger spilling past her tears and holding them back.

“I want to believe that...that the worst thing you did was hypnotise people and set off fires on empty homes...that you didn't kill anyone…”

Missy began to feel a horrible sense of devastation at the look of resignation and sadness on the Doctor’s face.

“But you _don't_ believe that? do you? You prefer to believe a 17th century mob mentality judgement that my words.”

Missy’s tears began to spill as she shifted awkwardly, turning her head to press her face into the pillow. When she let out a sob, it was clear that she wasn’t feeling only emotional pain.

The Doctor stepped closer, “Let me take look at your back. I don't want you to be in pain.”

She reached for the metal cuff and released one restraint, Missy's hearts dropped when she kept the other cuff in place. The possibility that the Doctor had lost trust in her shook her deeply.

The Doctor stepped back around the bed, and helped Missy ease up enough that she could slip her arm out of her jacket. Pulling her blouse free from her belt, she realised quickly that Missy’s clothing was just too restrictive and she would have to release her.

Moving back around to face Missy, the Doctor looked into her eyes, a silent plea that she cooperate. Missy looked into her eyes and saw a warmth and incredible compassion shining back at her - the depth of it, directed at her, just made her tears fall faster.

The Doctor placed one hand on her shoulder, and the other reached hers, their fingers intertwining instinctively. “I’m going to need you to undress a bit - can I...do that for you?”

Missy nodded silently, and the Doctor squeezed her shoulder gently before releasing her and helping her to sit up.

She loosened her tie and then unbuttoned her blouse, easing it off of her shoulders and slipping it off. She moved back behind her to unlace her corset, and instantly noticed blood - she felt a big flash of concern and quickly loosened her corset enough that she could pull it open.

The Doctor gasped and put a hand over her mouth, stifling a sob at the deep bleeding wounds on Missy’s back.

“Oh Missy, I'm sorry they did this to you,” the Doctor said, as she leaned forward and placed a kiss on her head.

Missy gave no response, and stayed very still, so the Doctor got straight to work.

“Let's heal these wounds and make you comfortable...ok? Then, we’re going to talk about how all this happened.”

Missy remained silent, trying to hold in her tears so she could remain as still as possible while the Doctor healed her wounds. It  wasn’t a quick process, and the Doctor frequently had to place her hand firmly on Missy’s shoulder, back or arm to steady her enough that she could work. When finally she had finished, there was only the dried blood soaked into her that remained.

She squeezed her shoulder gently and stepped around the bed to look at her. It struck her, how full of emotion Missy was when she met her eyes. She put her around her and pulled her into a tight hug.

“There’s still a lot of blood on you - I have a nice bathroom across from this room - huge sunken bath, you’ll like it. Everything you might need should be in there, and you'll feel a lot better afterwards. I’ll clean your clothes while you’re in there, then we can have some tea and talk about all this,” the Doctor said.

She offered her hand to Missy, who took it immediately and stood, hesitating for the briefest of moments before stepping forward and slipping her arms around her. The Doctor sighed and pulled Missy into a tight hug, placing a kiss on her head.

She still needed answers, but as Missy remained in her arms, she knew she would do whatever it took to help her if she had fallen, but deep in her hearts the hope grew that perhaps, this time, she hadn't. 


	2. Chapter 2

When Missy emerged from the bathroom, she walked across the hall, back to the room she had woken in, to find the Doctor had left her cleaned clothes on the bed. She changed straight away, feeling so much better to be out of blood stained clothes. Pulling out her makeup from her jacket pocket, she glanced around, and seeing no mirror, reapplied her make up, and awkwardly fixed her hair using her compact mirror.

 As if on cue, the Doctor came to the door moments after she was ready.

 “Can I come in?” she called.

“You’re the jailor honey, you can do what you like,” Missy called back, aiming for nonchalance but failing horribly and only achieving forced nonchalance with very obvious vulnerability.

The Doctor came in and smiled at her warmly, “I’m not your jailor, i’m your friend, and it’s good to see you looking so much better.”

“You have me in a sparse room, the bed has restraints and you have a containment field around it. If that’s the standard way you treat your _friends_ , it’s no wonder you go through so many,” Missy said.

The Doctor sighed, “I just put you in here to work on restoring you - I had to take precautions, I’m not holding you here against your will. I _am_ prepared to do that Missy, but only if I think you’re a danger. Look, let’s get out of this room, have some tea in the library."

They sat together, the Doctor having located a very nice tea set that Missy felt she had done specifically for the occasion. She appreciated the gesture.

“I was trying to find somewhere to, well, try...having a life...a base...but nowhere felt like a home. I got the balance right, somehow...they made me a teacher despite their ridiculous notion that only the male of the stupid species could be teachers, and I educated them...there were some true bright minds there  even for the times. I should never have hypnotised anyone. It was a terrible mistake.”

The Doctor remained silent, glad that she was being so open and not wanting to interrupt her flow.

“I didn't kill anyone - I haven’t done in a long time and I really don't want to, believe me,” she sighed. “I escaped and the bastard who hurt me told me smugly how he was framing me for murdering his family, then he fired my TCE at me  - the safeguards were off..i’d been working on it. He was the one they should have been lynching, he was the only evil in that town, I actually _liked_ his children. They appreciated some of the time experiments I was working on in my castle..only small things to amuse myself, but they thought I was a magical fairy," she paused, the pain she felt at the memory  quite obvious. "I'm not used to people...liking me.”

The Doctor watched her sadly, and let her continue.

“I'm sorry...for everything...the ship...It was two years since I last saw you..and i’ve been frozen since ….I had to leave with him...it was a fixed point...whole mess of a paradox that my beginning is drenched in. But...I wasn't going to leave...I tried to show you...the blade...I hoped you'd know on some level that I wasn't just turning my back on you.”

She watched her but the Doctor showed no hint as to whether she believed her. It hurt deeply.

She swallowed, “my mistake was not being able to just do it and leave. I told him, I gloated just a little - that I was going to stand with you. So he shot me. I don't remember much accept waking up on my tardis. I don't know how i got there. I did check on you.. covertly.. you seemed to be the one who walked away…”

“Don’t say that! I regenerated Missy! And I knew you were doing something...I understood but I didn't know what...I thought you left - stole his tardis.”

“How could you think that I would just walk away from you?” Missy said, her hurt plainly obvious.

“Because I asked you to stay with me and you said no and you did exactly that! I watched you walk away, and I knew you were playing him, but why does it always have to be like that?”

“I had to secure my own beginning Doctor…”

“Your own….you had to ensure he died….” she stared at Missy her eyes wide with shock...you killed him…”

“My last act of murder was to kill my past...poetic in a way, isn't it?” she said.

“Its tragic Missy,” the Doctor said. “I’m saddened for you, I honestly am. I imagined that trip so much differently…”

Missy laughed sardonically, “oh you thought i’d play the hero and save all the people and we’d live happily ever after for the next 900 years in my prison did you?”

“Missy,” the Doctor said softly. “I knew it would be a challenge for you, but i’d hoped..I just hoped we’d do more and more, and then maybe...you’d move in to my TARDIS...that things could evolve for you...as _you_ evolved. If you were still there in 900 years then I would have failed you pretty badly. But..I suppose I failed you regardless...dropping you into that.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you didn’t fail me..you’re the only person who has ever tried...ever cared. I love you unimaginably.”

The Doctor smiled warmly, taking her hand and held it determinedly, “as I do you Missy.”

“I’m glad you wanted to find a place to try and live  - to integrate and not want to harm anyone...i’m so sorry it went so badly wrong.”

“Well….maybe i’m better off not trying to do that again….I didn’t hurt anyone but they still turned on me. I don’t know how long it’s been for you, but I had two years of living among the same people who turned on me at a moments notice. I haven’t harmed anyone - if we do the math here, not counting being frozen inside an owl… I haven’t done anything properly evil in over a century.”

“I’m proud of you,” the Doctor said, placing a kiss on her head.

Missy smiled, her hearts flooding with happiness.

“It's been two years for you, but it's been only weeks for me,” the Doctor whispered.

Missy reached up, her hand on the Doctors shoulder as she urged her closer. The Doctor leaned closer and Missy kissed her softly.

“Do you have any other Injuries?” the Doctor said, stroking her hair.

“I’m fine,” Missy said. “Few scrapes, but I can feel them healing already. I can...stay with you?”

“I’d be very happy if you would,” the Doctor said.

“Can we keep the pets... _friends,_  out for a while...at least until i’ve had a bit of time...it must be crowded in here..how many do you have? 4...5?”

“Five?” the Doctor asked. “Why would I have so many people with me…? 

“Those new ones, I saw them when I checked on you, but I don’t know their names,” she paused, raising her hand to silence the Doctor. “No, don’t tell me, I won’t actually listen. I tend to switch off when you talk about humans too much. So the new ones, plus Nardole and Cyber Bill-  sorry, that was callous. But we can fix that if you haven’t done yet. Unless you adopted half that farmhouse. Please don't tell me you have a TARDIS full of people?”

“Missy,” the Doctor said. “They’re dead. Surely you know they have to be.”

“Dead? Why would they be dead?” Missy asked confused.

“Nardole won’t have survived - I sent him to the next floor with the survivors - mostly kids. They won’t have lasted that long, not in reality. Bill...she was converted Missy...noone can fix her. She changed..became something...more, at least she’s one that I don’t mourn for. But everyone else died on that ship along with, your past self, Nardole - all those children...”

“Doctor! I am disgusted and disappointed and a little devastated...many dramatic words beginning with d! You’re just going to walk away and leave them? Not even go and see if there are survivors? After everything you said? Oh no, you do not get to do that. I know how fuzzy things get for you post regeneration, but you do not get to hide away from the past. We are _going_ to save them, because it’s _appalling_ not to...and..it’s..all those things you were trying to get me to be...good, right, decent, kind - and Nardole makes very good tea! We are _going_ to save them all.”

“Missy, sometimes we have to continue - to accept that nothing can be done and keep moving forward. I’m so happy, more than you can imagine, that you feel this way, but there’s really nothing we can do.”

“Doctor, am I here as your friend, or your prisoner...or your... patient? What is this going to be?”

“Friend Missy.. _of course,_  my friend.”

“Then let _me_ help _you,_ Doctor,” she said. “It’s so much harder _not_ to walk away. The only reason you haven't gone back is because you're afraid of what you'll find.”

“I’m not! Missy, and i’m not walking away - I did everything I could. I regenerated, I lost people...I _thought I_ lost you. All that will be there is ashes and Cybermen. Going back to that would be heartbreaking, so now we move forward, trust me on this.”

Missy regarded her with interest, and then sat back in her chair and sighed, “you’re right. So where do we go from here?"

“We can stay here for a while, then when you’re ready we could make some trips together. Just us,” the Doctor said, reaching across to take her hand across the table. “Spend some time together visiting places, travelling - nothing heavy.”

“Sure,” Missy said with a smile. “So does this mean I can drive?”

The Doctor hesitated, “well...sure, why not. You were taking care of my TARDIS better than I was, she’d probably welcome you." 

The following morning the Doctor woke, and instinctively headed to her console room. She stopped as she walked in, surprised to find Missy standing at the console.

“Oh, good morning, I must say your TARDIS has been very hospitable - the room I have is quite exquisite. Now, you did say you’d let me drive? Hope you remember that,” laughed Missy.

“You have somewhere in mind?” the Doctor asked suspiciously, as she stepped closer to Missy.

“I most certainly do and i'm already there. You Doctor, have been my guide, and I hope will continue to be, but sometimes, _you_ need a guide to. That’s where I come in - to not let you lose faith or run away. So….come here,” Missy said, extending her hand.

The Doctor took her hand cautiously and let Missy lead her to the doors. They opened, and she made a mental note to ask Missy if she had made remote devices for anything else in her TARDIS. A quick glance outside showed it to be a lush green field, nothing else of any note.

“I don’t understand, where are we Missy?” she asked.

“It’s not where we are, it’s where we’re _not_ Doctor!” Missy announced with a degree of satisfaction. “Give yourself a moment and feel it...the lack of that sensation that tells us when we’re thickly into a fixed point in time. You can’t feel it, because this isn’t one. We are _not_ at a fixed point - so we can do that bit of saving and hero role playing that you wanted to. Because we still have time.”

Missy quickly walked back inside the console room, opening concealed cupboards that the Doctor didn’t even realise she had, and then simply walked straight back through the doors, stuffing devices into her expansive pockets as she walked across the grass. The Doctor followed, focusing only on Missy,

“It’s not roleplay Missy! It’s doing the right thing - not ignoring pleas for help, saving people is decent and right, it’s not a game, it’s…” she froze mid sentence as she looked up at the sky.

Missy watched her, as she came to the realisation, staring up at the numbers in the sky.

“You brought us back to the colony ship. Missy, no...we can't do this. Where are we in the timeline…”

“I’d say, right at this moment, I am stabbing myself, and you’re probably sending Nardy off with the kids. So this is the ideal time...I won’t bump into me….but I could have a little peek and see exactly how I got off this ship in the first place….mind you, what’s that saying...curiosity killed the cat?”

The Doctor walked across and took Missy’s hand, “you’re doing the right thing in this, but they may already be dead by the time we can find them. You’re right though - we have to try.”

“Well, someone locked me in a room and went _on and on_ for simply YEARS about morality...I’d blame him...some of it obviously stuck,” Missy said, glancing at the Doctor with a smile.

“Well then I am very happy he was here,” the Doctor said returning her smile.

Missy pulled out a device and looked at it, “Oh look, two floors down from them...I know where there are some maintenance lift shafts - they only go between floors and aren’t connected, so there’s our safe way up.”

The Doctor looked at her, clearly impressed, “well, we’d better go save them all then!" 

“If you insist,” said Missy, winking at her, before linking arms and heading in the direction of the maintenance lift.


	3. Chapter 3

Missy reactivated the dormant access lift and they soon made their way past two floors, the Doctor was impressed with the speed at which she achieved it - it was basic mechanics really, and Missy was able to perform far more complex operations than that, but it was her drive that impressed her. She simply was going to forge along until she found the others.

“Do you know how you got off the ship?” Missy asked.

“My memory was a bit foggy, but I assume the same way you did...do you remember anything?”

Missy stopped and turned to face her, “I remember me. I’m a huge paradox - killing me, being killed by me, but not dying - it just feels like i’m everywhere in my memory - it all crashes around in my head with too many angles to make any sense. It’s not fixed though - none of this is...but not if we go back again and again, we’ll create too many ripples. One trip, that’s what we need to do this in. You’re here. I have another floor to go. Off you go.”

The Doctor stared at her, stunned, “no, no, no, don't go back there. You’re planning to go headlong into the worst personal paradox anyone has ever been stuck in? Missy, he tried to kill you, you turn up and intervene in that and you could end up dead this time. Properly dead. I’m not letting you do that.”

“I thought we established that I wasn't your prisoner anymore Doctor? You’re the one who said I was your friend, so don’t tell me you aren’t _letting_ me do this.”

The Doctor looked at her, worry etched into her features, “Missy, please. Close the door on it and come with me. This was your idea….”

“And I will do this, then come back and help you get everyone back to your TARDIS. But I have to know - I have to see what happened. However I got off this ship, it was not the same way that you did. I can see it Doctor - Someone was there with me - I have to know, because it couldn't have been him, he was in the lift by then. The memories are crashing into my head and I have to go!”

Missy stepped back from the Doctor and stumbled, her hand going to her head as she winced in pain, “I have no choice..  if I don’t go...my head hurts...i’m sorry…”

Missy pushed the Doctor through the doors, locking them with her pulse from her umbrella. 

“No! Missy let me come with you!” the Doctor  shouted after her as the lift moved on.

Missy reached the clearing and stopped, time felt as if it was slowing and the air becoming thick around her.

She fought her way along, and it began to feel as though time itself was trying stop her, but she forged ahead until she finally reached herself, dropping to her knees next to her own body.

"Wake up, you can't be dead yet...I'm here so you must still be…."

She placed her hand tentatively on her head, stroking her hair..."Missy...you're not dying…don't be so dramatic. I want you to hear this and remember it...because I did, so you will. The Doctor will know what you did - the choice you made. In time, the Doctor will know."

Taking careful hold, she rolled her other self over and placed a device on her back, fiddling with it until it performed the desired function. The unresponsive version of herself, suddenly groaned in pain and she reached out instinctively, holding her hand. 

" _Finally_...you will heal now, and he _will_ know someday..." She reached up and stroked her hair, fascinated with herself before sitting back and placing a vortex manipulator on her wrist. She leaned down and took her hand as she placed a kiss on her head.

"Remember who you are now," she whispered, as she pressed the button.

She sat staring at the ground where the other her had laid moments before, not moving until she felt the warmth of a hand on her shoulder. She smiled and reached up, covering the Doctors hand with hers.

“Well, now I know how I got off the ship.”

The Doctor stepped around her reaching out both of her hands. Missy took them and stood, not letting go as the Doctor leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"You got off the ship a different way then after all. Nothing's straightforward with you! Are you ready?"

"Yeah," Missy said. "But don't tell them all this was my idea." She let go of one of the Doctors hands and they quickly began to walk toward the access lift, hand in hand. "Tell them I had an evil scheme to control the cyber factories and you stopped me which explains why i'm here?"

"They'd be afraid of you Missy, you don't really want that."

“That's.. all I know, if we're being honest here. I'm good at making people afraid.”

“I can show other ways..do you actually want them to be scared of you?”

“No.”

The Doctor smiled, “come on, let's go and do this...I don't know how long they have up there." 

They walked purposefully through the charred land, their hands held firmly as they stepped across ashes and burnt bracken.

* * *

 

The Doctor smiled broadly as she saw the farmhouse - a replica of the charred world they had left behind.

The children ran round seemingly oblivious to any danger, and the Doctors gaze went beyond them, to see Nardole through the window. Hazran kissing him on his cheek.

"That's sweet," the Doctor said with a smile.

Nardole noticed them almost at the same moment, his eyes widening In surprise.

He wasted no time and came straight outside, Hazran following behind him, remaining on the porch as she watched them with a questioning gaze.

Nardole stared at her…"Doctor?”

“It's good to see you Nardole. Sorry it took me so long...regenerated.”

“Yeah, I can see," he said with a smile.”

“Hazran” he said  over his shoulder, “you remember the Doctor.”

“...regeneration is that what you called it?” she said.

“Yes." He turned back to the Doctor. “You found Missy then..so we're going back to the vault..”

“Absolutely not!” the Doctor said.” I didn't arrange this trip to get you off this ship...Missy did.  Shes travelling with me..well, us if you want to stay.”

Nardole walked over and threw him arms around the Doctor hugging her. The Doctor returned his hug happily.

“Let's round up the children and start making our way down to my TARDIS. It's not far," she said.

* * *

 

Nardole glanced warily at Missy as they eventually began the walk back  to the Doctor's TARDIS. He had left Hazran and the other adults in charge of keeping the kids together, and walked ahead with the Doctor.

"Just so you know i'm staying with this lot once you figure out where to put them all. Well, the children are noisy and excitable and exhausting, but Hazran's...well, i'm happy, you know?"

"Oh now that's brilliant to hear!" the Doctor said with a broad smile.

"So this was really Missy's idea?" he asked incredulously, attempting to keep his voice low. "Why would she want to come back here and save anyone?"

"Because she _did_ change Nardole. She assumed I'd already come back here - I told her there was no chance that you were all still alive and she didn't accept it. Seriously - everything I wanted for her - it's possible. She has the great capacity for good, and it's a privilege to be with her while she's working all that out." 

"It really was her idea to save us?"

"Yep!" the Doctor said, smiling.

Nardole paused, and without a word, turned to Missy and pulled her into a hug. Missy's eyes grew wide and she froze, staring past Nardole at the Doctor.

"Doctor! Do something! He's hugging me!" Missy exclaimed.

The Doctor laughed, as Nardole broke the hug s quickly as he had started it, and carried on walking, leaving Missy speechless.

It took her a few minutes, and eventually she jogged ahead and caught up with him again.

“So Nardy...i'm not a prisoner but...you'll still bring me things? l’'ll make lists an you'll do my shopping for me?”

Nardole rolled his eyes. “if you're not locked in a vault you're capable of looking after yourself - get your own sweets and popcorn Missy!”

The Doctor squeezed her hand as they walked ahead. “You like presents don't you?” She leaned in and kissed her cheek. “He's our friend not a personal shopper, but he's going to live his own life now. I’'ll get you presents….you're fun to spoil. It makes me happy when your eyes light up.”

Missy broke eye contact and smiled as they carried on, the TARDIS waiting in the distance, like a beacon calling them home.

“Likewise,” Missy said with a smile.

 


End file.
